Juventus Want Manchester City's $67M Forward As Part Of Cristiano Ronaldo's Deal: Report

Juventus reportedly want to sign Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus as a part of Cristiano Ronaldo's deal in the 2021 summer window.

While Manchester City want to sign a forward after failing to secure Harry Kane, the Etihad side does not want to part ways with Jesus this summer, reported Sky Sports.

Jesus' current market value is around $67 million, according to Transfermarkt.

Juventus are open to selling Ronaldo before the summer window closes on Aug. 31 but will only accept offers that match their asking price of $29 million. Ronaldo has just one year left on his contract and the Turin club does not want to lose the five-time Ballon d'Or winner for free. Moreover, the club will be happy to save $689,000 on their weekly wage bracket.

Ronaldo, who is yet to directly communicate with Juventus about leaving the club this summer, has informed his teammates that he wants to leave Turin. Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendis, will be in direct contact with Manchester City to discuss the Portuguese forward's salary, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who has a credible record in the European transfer market.

Romano has also claimed that City won't match Ronaldo's current salary at Juventus, which is $36 million after tax, annually.

Manchester City are willing to give the 36-year-old forward a two-year contract, with a salary of $18 million per season, unnamed sources in Italy informed Sky Sports. However, International Business Times could not verify it independently.

By securing Jack Grealish from Aston Villa at a Premier League record fee of $136 million, Manchester City believe their current squad is definitely stronger than last season. Moreover, City are interested in landing Ronaldo even though he does not fit in their desired profile, especially after losing the Champions League final to Chelsea last season. But the Etihad side won the Premier League as they finished 12 points clear of their arch-rivals Manchester United.

Despite being 36, Ronaldo has not lost his touch of scoring goals. With five goals and one assist, Ronaldo finished as the joint-top scorer at the recently concluded Euros 2020, along with Czech Republic's Patrik Schick. In the 2020-21 campaign, Ronaldo netted an incredible 36 goals and four assists in 44 competitive appearances for Juventus. His tally of goals was 16 more than teammate Álvaro Morata.

Ronaldo, who did not start Juventus's season opener against Udinese, left training on Wednesday with an arm injury. He could soon return to Manchester, the city that first saw the making of the superstar he is today. He spent six years at Old Trafford, where he scored 118 goals and 69 assists in 292 competitive matches and won many titles, including a Champions League and three successive Premier League titles.